Field
This disclosure is generally related to the design of wafer carriers used in the fabrication of semiconductor devices. More specifically, this disclosure is related to wafer carriers used for large-scale manufacturing of solar cells.
Related Art
Crystalline-silicon based solar cells have been shown to have superb energy conversion efficiency. While device design and fabrication techniques continue to mature, and with the price of crystalline silicon becoming progressively lower, solar panels are being offered at historical low prices. In addition, with newly available financing plans and government subsidies, customers, both residential and commercial, now have unprecedented incentives to install solar panels. As a result, the solar market is expected to experience double-digit growth for many years to come.
Most of the current solar cell manufacturing facilities, however, are insufficiently equipped for large-scale production. The emerging solar market demands factories that can produce hundreds of megawatts, if not gigawatts, of solar cells per year. The design, size, and throughput of present facilities are not intended for such high-volume manufacturing. Hence, various new designs in the manufacturing process are needed.